Insider Trading: Outtakes from Hot Commodity
by blueeyedcherry
Summary: This is a collection of outtakes from Hot Commodity. You've been forewarned: there will be lemons! *AH/OOC/Language*
1. The Gossip Guys

**A/N:** Happy belated Valentine's Day to all! I hope everyone who celebrated enjoyed the day! :)

As a thank you for pushing Hot Commodity up to 300 reviews (361 actually - you guys ROCK!), I prepared this outtake of Emmett and Jasper's lunch from Chapter 9. This is the first in a series of outtakes I'll be doing, hence the new thread.

You all know how I roll - reviews = love, so don't be bashful, feel free to leave some! :) And THANK YOU to everyone who reads my stories - I can't even express how happy it makes me and how much it means!

One last thing - Hot Commodity is nominated for a Sunflower Award. The story is up in the 'Best Edward' category. Pretty please (with sugar and cherries on top), head over to thesunflowerawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com and show Edward some love and cast your vote! If it wins, there will be a VERY special, VERY citrus-infused outtake as a thank you! ;)

This puppy is unbeta'd, so apologies in advance for any errors that might pop up.

There's a lovely banner for this over on my blog - blueeyedcherry(dot)blogspot(dot)com. Thanks to vbfb19 for the banner! :)

- N.

Characters belong to SM. Everything else belongs to me.

**Emmett's POV**

It didn't take a genius to know that something strange was going on with Edward.

Having known him since college, I was pretty familiar with his ways. Granted we didn't maintain constant contact in the years after we graduated, I saw him around town enough and talked to Jasper enough to know how he was, especially with women. I hadn't seen him show an ounce of emotion since Jessica, and up until a month ago I was convinced I'd probably never see him show any again.

Then Bella Swan came along.

It wasn't an overnight change, but he was definitely acting different. He didn't seem quite so cocky, he wasn't going out as much, and he was always present whenever I went out with Rose and her friends. Friends of mine who ran in the same circles as him said he wasn't "chasing as much tail" as he used to either, which left us all perplexed.

I always was a nosy bastard. Meeting Jasper for a beer on Saturday afternoon seemed like a good way to get some answers.

"How did you get Rose to let you out?" Jasper joked, taking a pull of his beer and popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth. Years ago we used to frequent this bar every weekend. The staff had changed several times, but the décor remained the same.

"She's not like that, my friend. Besides, I've only been seeing her for what, a month? No girl owns me after a month."

"Bullshit." Jasper smirked. "That's right, I call bullshit. I've seen the way you look at her. You practically orbit around her when you're together. Don't tell me you wouldn't bend over backwards for that girl if she asked you to."

I smiled sheepishly. He was right, of course. I was completely smitten with Rosalie. I still had my pride, however, and I didn't want everyone to know how whipped I was quite yet.

"Speaking of orbiting," I saw this as a good time to change the topic. "What's up with Cullen? Bella Swan's pussy must be made of gold."

Jasper choked on a peanut. "What are you talking about?"

"C'mon Whitlock, don't be like that." I tipped my beer back and drained it, sliding the empty glass across the bar and signaling the bartender for another one. "You know Edward better than anyone. You can't tell me you haven't noticed the change in his behavior."

"Could you be more specific?" Jasper fidgeted with the buttons on his shirt. _Gotcha,_ I thought triumphantly. He knew something and I was determined to pull it out of him.

"Well, for starters, he's not drilling any new notches in his bedpost. That fact alone is enough to cause alarm." I ticked my reasons off on my fingers. "He seems humbled. He's always around whenever Bella is there. They're photographed together every time I turn around. And he was rather quick to come to her rescue Friday night after the whole red carpet debacle." I watched Jasper carefully, waiting for his reaction.

"I…" he sighed and fisted a hand in his hair. "I don't know what's going through Bella's mind, but Edward is just playing along. At least he _was _at first. I'm not sure that's the case anymore."

"What do you mean 'playing along'?" This didn't sound good.

Jasper pushed his beer away and turned his body to face me. He looked gravely serious. "If I tell you this, you have to swear on all that's holy that you won't flap your gums to Rosalie. We'll all be hosed if you do."

"It can't be that bad," I started, but stopped when Jasper fixed me with a glare. I swallowed and held my hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright, I swear I won't say anything to Rose."

"Edward is putting on a façade," he began to explain. "You see, it all started last month with this bet."

"A bet? What kind of bet?" This definitely didn't sound good.

Jasper looked away and clenched and unclenched his hands in his lap. "If I had known Alice and I would become an item so fast, I'd of never suggested this stupid bet in the first place." He turned back towards me and looked down at his lap. "You were at the Guggenheim event last month, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, that was the first night I went home with Rose…" I felt my cheeks redden at the memory. Jasper's lips curved upward in a tiny smile and he shook his head.

"That also happened to be the first night Edward and Bella met," Jasper explained. I furrowed my brow in confusion, and then remembered how irate Bella was that night when Rose introduced us.

"She was awfully angry when Rose gave us an introduction," I said, taking a pull off my beer. "I'm guessing that was because of Edward? What did he do to her exactly?"

"Made comments about her tits, tried to get her into bed … the usual Edward game." Jasper scoffed. I crinkled my nose in disgust. That type of behavior was exactly why I'd come to dislike Edward after our college years. I was no saint in the bedroom – I'd shared mine with a few women over the years – but I never aimed to objectify them like Edward did.

"That would explain her sailor-speak," I said, laughing at the inside joke. Jasper looked curious but I just waved my hand, signaling for him to continue with his story.

"As you can imagine, Edward was completely up in arms over the fact that a woman had rejected him. I cracked a joke, he got more pissed, and then he claimed he could get her to fall in love with him…" Jasper's voice trailed off and guilt clouded his features. I sat up straight and slapped my palms against my thighs.

"Oh no, Jasper. Please don't tell me that's what his 'Mr. Nice Guy' attitude is all about." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. _Maybe I should tell him to stop, _I thought to myself. If I didn't know any details, then I couldn't technically be considered an accomplice in this madness, right?

Jasper nodded. "Edward is on a mission to get Bella Swan to fall in love with him. And judging from how cozy they've seemed lately, I'd say it's working."

"And you're the one responsible for this whole mess?" I asked, staring at Jasper in disbelief. In all the years I'd known him, he'd never been one to instigate such shallow games. _He spent too much time with Cullen lately, _a little voice at the back of my head said. "I'd expect way more from you, Whitlock."

"Hey, hey, hey," Jasper held his hands up in defense. "I'm not alone in this! Edward wasn't exactly hesitant to agree on his end either. I just offered up the wager, that's all."

"I'm quite sure Edward wouldn't have dreamed this up had you not planted the seed for him," I scolded. "I think we both know how anti-monogamy he's become since the whole Paris fiasco with Jess."

"I know I should have stopped this thing the minute Alice agreed to go out with me." Jasper ran his fingers across his stubble-coated chin, appearing lost in thought. "Come to think of it, I _did _try to stop this once. Edward didn't want to back down though. I'm sure his pride is standing in the way at this point."

"So what did you wager? I can't imagine anything enticing enough to get him to agree to something like this."

"I tried cash at first," Jasper admitted. "That was a stupid idea, since his family is loaded. Then I offered up my new place in the Hamptons."

"Your Hamptons house? Really? Wow." I didn't know what else to say. I drained the rest of my beer and propped my elbows up on the bar. I clasped my hands together and rested my chin against my knuckles.

This entire situation was ridiculous. Part of me wanted to believe that I could close my eyes for a few minutes, and when I opened them, I'd be home in bed, dreaming about this fucked up conversation instead of engaging in it. Life wasn't that easy though, and I knew now that Jasper had shared this information with me I'd have to figure out some way to deal with it.

"This whole quiet, contemplative thing is starting to freak me out. I don't even know if I want to ask what you're thinking."

I looked over at Jasper and sighed. "What I'm thinking is that you just put me in a totally fucked up position by sharing that with me. How do you expect me not to tell Rose about this?"

Jasper's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Oh no, Em, you can't tell Rose. She'll tell Alice and Alice will tell Bella and then this whole thing will get blown out of proportion and we'll all end up hurt."

"Blown out of proportion? Excuse me for being so crass, but this is already a _big fucking deal!_" How Whitlock didn't grasp the significance of this was beyond me.

"I know it's a big fucking deal," Jasper spat out. "But we need to keep this under wraps. I know I can convince Edward to back down; I just need a couple weeks to do it. I have no problem giving up the house if it means keeping Alice and saving Bella from getting hurt."

I ran a hand through my hair again and tossed a few bills on the bar. I stood up and grabbed my coat off the stool. I had to get out of there. I didn't know Bella very well, but I did know that she was a nice person who didn't deserve to get caught in this crossfire.

"I can't walk around with this on my shoulders, Jasper. I have to tell Rosalie."

Jasper threw some money down to pay his tab as well and followed me outside. "Please Emmett, I'm begging you."

"You and Edward might be willing to engage in childish, bullshit behavior like this, but I refuse to encourage it and I sure as hell won't be a part of it." I tugged my coat on and spun around so I was face-to-face with Jasper. "When did Cullen's raunchiness start to invade the decent part of your brain? You were always one of the good guys, Jasper."

Jasper sighed and stared down at his feet. "I _am _a good guy, Emmett. I made a stupid decision. I _will _rectify it. Just give me until Friday, ok?"

I tipped my head towards the sky and took a deep breath. Everyone makes mistakes, right? Nobody is perfect. As angry as I wanted to be, I was actually happy that Whitlock had guided Edward into Bella's arms, even if it was under the wrong pretenses. This woman just might be the push he needed to get straightened out and settled down.

"You have until Friday," I muttered. Jasper blew out a sigh of what I assumed was relief and clapped his hand against my shoulder.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry I said anything. You kinda backed me into a corner with your questioning and, well … you know me. I've never been good at lying."

Yeah, right. Until October, that was.

"Straighten this mess out by Friday or I'm coming clean to Rose," I said, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "And don't try to weasel your way out of this, Whitlock. I'm going to Cullen before I go to Rose. That's obviously the only way I can get some truth without harming Bella in the process."

Jasper gulped and nodded. "Got it. Everything will be under control by Friday, I swear."

We said our goodbyes and I headed off in the direction of Rose's apartment.

For some reason, I didn't think getting things under control would be as easy as Jasper made it sound.

And in the back of my mind, I knew that somehow, someway, I'd also be in trouble when this was all said and done.


	2. Chocolate Therapy

**A/N: **Hello again!

This is a little thank you for carrying Hot Commodity over 400 reviews. If I could dish out hugs and kisses to you all I would in a heartbeat! :)

I'd also like to give another THANK YOU to everyone who voted for Hot Commodity in the Sunflower Awards! The story won the Best Edward category, and this means more to me than I can even start to express on here. There's another outtake in the works to show my appreciation. Hopefully it'll be up by the end of this week!

Without further ado...

- N.

Characters belong to SM, publicly recognizable locations, things, etc. belong to their respective owners. Everything else belongs to me.

**Chocolate Therapy  
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**Rose's POV**

I slammed the apartment door behind me and stomped down the hall.

I was going to kill Edward Cullen. No, scratch that, killing him would be too easy. I was going to use a rusty kitchen knife to chop his balls off and then I'd shove them up his nostrils.

I slid into the back of the Lincoln and tossed my purse onto the seat next to me. I dialed Alice's number and waited impatiently for her to pick up. This situation called for reinforcements.

"Happy Saturday!" Alice's singsong voice only made me angrier.

"What are you doing?" I spat out. I couldn't see her, but I was fairly certain Alice jumped at my tone.

"I just got home from spinning class. What are _you _doing?"

"You need to get over to Bella's house right now." I sounded like a drill sergeant. I knew I shouldn't be so snippy with Alice, but news of Cullen's stereotypical behavior had completely dissolved any politeness filter I had.

"What the hell is going on? Who unleashed your inner bitch this morning?" Now Alice sounded irritated too. I closed my eyes and released a silent breath, willing myself to relax and direct my anger appropriately.

"Cullen pulled a fuck-and-run on Bella," I explained. Alice gasped.

"He didn't!"

"Oh yes – he did indeed." The car came to a stop and I got out before my driver could open the door for me. "How soon can you be here?"

I heard the shower turn on in the background. "Half an hour?"

"Don't be late!" I hung up and headed into the building. Years ago, Bella, Alice, and I had all exchanged keys. We didn't use them very often, but in situations like this, they definitely came in handy.

"Bella?" I called out, easing open her apartment door.

"In here," she answered. I followed her voice to the kitchen, where I expected to find her drowning her sorrows with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and a strong cocktail. Instead, the sight of my best friend punching her fists into a large mixing bowl greeted me.

"You're baking?" I did nothing to hide the surprise in my voice.

Bella nodded, wiping her face on the sleeve of her shirt. I couldn't tell if she was ridding herself of tears or flour. "I couldn't handle sitting here and dwelling on this shit."

"That's … good," I offered, choosing my words delicately. I stepped forward and dipped my finger in the bowl, scooping up a decent sized amount of dough and dropping it in my mouth. Bella nudged me away from the counter with her hip.

"Hey! None of that!"

"Does this mean the asshole is forgiven?" I pulled out a chair and sat down. Bella's back stiffened and she stopped mixing the dough.

"What's there to forgive?" She finally answered, resuming her punches. "It's not like he promised me anything. Besides, I was the one who brought him home, not the other way around. Should I really have expected anything else?"

"You absolutely should have expected something else!" I stood up and leaned my back against the counter next to Bella, crossing my arms over my chest. "He agreed to go out with you - on a _date_, Bell, not just for a good fuck. I'm sorry if I sound crass, but if that's all he wanted, then he should have been honest with you after the first night you hooked up."

She stopped mixing again and tucked her chin to her chest. I cocked my head to the side and tried to meet her eye. Fresh tears were tricking down her already blotchy cheeks.

"I feel like such an idiot, Rose." Bella motioned to the sink with her elbow and I turned the warm water on for her. She scrubbed the cookie dough off her fingers and reached for a towel. "He seemed so genuinely excited when I asked him to go. He even brought me truffles instead of flowers, Rose – truffles from fucking Paris!"

"Honey, you aren't the idiot – _Edward _is." I folded my arms across my chest. "Just because he tried to woo you with European delicacies doesn't make him prince charming."

Bella sank down onto one of the kitchen chairs and dropped her head to her hands. "Thanks for that, Rose. That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I love you, but this guy is a dick, and I'm not going to sugarcoat my opinions to make it seem otherwise." I kneeled in front of her, resting my palms against my thighs. "He's a womanizer, sweetie, plain and simple. He _knows _all the tricks of the trade when it comes to getting what he wants."

When she made no move to speak, I continued. "And you … you're a good person, Bella. In fact, you're such a good person that you always try and find the redeeming qualities in others – even when they don't exist. Unfortunately I don't think you're going to find anything redeeming in Edward."

"Step off your high horse already!" Bella stood abruptly. Her tearful eyes met mine, and I was taken aback by the hostility in them. "Edward's not perfect, but he isn't total shit either!"

"I'm not on any 'high horse,'" I argued. I stood up myself, unsure of what to say. It had been years since Bella and I had an argument, let alone one over a guy. "I told you before, I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. I care too much about you to stand back and watch in silence while you let some scumbag whose dick controls his brain walk all over you."

" Damnit Rosalie, you're supposed to be my best friend!" Her face was turning red and she was clenching and unclenching her fists at her side.

"I am your friend-"

"Then start acting like it and stop sitting here and lecturing me like I'm a fucking teenager!" She turned and stormed off down the hall. The sound of the bathroom door slamming echoed through the apartment.

"Bella!"

"I already have one overbearing mother back in Washington! I don't need another one here!" she yelled.

I padded down the hall and came to a stop in front of the bathroom, resting my forehead against the door. "I didn't come over here to fight with you."

"Then maybe you should leave." Her voice was heavy with tears. I didn't know what to say, but it didn't matter because the sound of Alice's knocking saved me.

"Thank God you're here!" I flung the door open and grabbed her wrist, pulling her inside. "This is not going at all how I'd hoped it would."

"Where is she?" Alice whispered. She dropped the Dean and Deluca bag she was carrying on the kitchen floor and took off her coat.

"She's in the bathroom." I placed one hand on my hip and used the other to gesture down the hall.

"Bell?" Alice said softly, tapping her knuckles against the door. When there was no response she tried the knob, but it was locked as I'd expected. "Honey, please come out and talk to us."

"I have nothing to say to Rose," Bella spat back. "I don't need any Edward intervention from you either."

"I'm not here to give you an Edward intervention." Alice glared at me and mouthed, _what the fuck?_ I looked down at my feet and pointed at myself, mouthing, _I might have been a bit of a bitch_. Alice just rolled her eyes and gave me a look that said, "I-want-to-choke-you-but-I'm-too-nice-to-do-that-here."

"Is Rose still out there?"

"Yes, but I promise she'll keep her lips zipped." Alice gave me a stern look. "Isn't that right Rose?"

"I promise I'll shut my big mouth," I said, taking the hint. A minute later the door eased open and Bella joined us in the hall.

"Sweetie, look at your face! Have you been crying all morning?"

Bella nodded and headed for living room, settling down on one of her cushy armchairs and pulling a pillow into her lap. "I shouldn't be this upset. It was _one _date – _one fucking date! _It's not like we were engaged or something."

"Aw, that doesn't matter, Bell, you obviously have feelings for him." Alice perched herself on the edge of Bella's chair and wrapped her arm around our friend's shoulders.

"Which is exactly what I promised myself wouldn't happen!" She leaned her head on Alice's shoulder and blew out a long breath. "I knew going into this there'd be some set of unspoken rules that I needed to follow. I mean, didn't one of Emmett's buddies say he had some ridiculous rule about girls that came home with him?"

"In after the sun goes down, out before it comes back up." I whispered. My words made Bella wince.

"Rules exist so they can get broken," Alice argued, tossing a glare in my direction. "All it takes is for the right person to come along and that can change everything."

"I just don't get it." Bella pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. "I've had one night stands with guys like him before – you both know that. They don't stick around and spend the night, they don't spoon after the deed is done, and they sure as hell don't let you make them breakfast the next morning. They get up, get dressed, and go home."

"Which is why I think Edward feels _something_ for you," Alice said. "All those little details you just described are things a couple does, Bella. He's obviously breaking his rules specifically for you."

"If he felt something for me then why on earth would he run away like he did this morning?"

I chewed on my lip, unsure of whether or not I should say anything. I still owed Bella an apology from before, but now was clearly not the right time to give it.

"You know what I think?" Alice finally said.

"I'm guessing you're going to tell us regardless of how we answer?" I joked. Bella cracked a small smile and I knew then that I would be forgiven for my bitchiness.

"I think that Edward is scared." Alice ignored my jab. "I think that you're the first woman he's met that makes him feel something _real_, and as a result, he's scared shitless of you."

"I doubt that's the case, Alice." Bella cocked her head so her cheek rested against her knees. "If he felt anything positive for me he wouldn't have bolted out the door like white lightning."

"Did you hear a word I just said? Bolting out the door is completely typical behavior for a man that's scared of his feelings!"

I decided now was as good a time as ever to pitch in. "She has a valid point."

Bella looked over at me and narrowed her eyes. "So now you're on team Edward?"

"I never said that," I said, shaking my head. "As far as I'm concerned, scared or not, he should have sat down and talked to you instead of up and leaving like he did. But, Alice is right, leaving with no warning would absolutely be something to do if he was scared of what he feels."

"So what do I do then? I can't exactly call him up and ask him if he's scared."

"I think you should sit tight and wait for him to call you." Alice stood and started pacing the living room. "There's no reason to get all worked up at this point. Now, if you haven't heard from him in a week, then you might want to call him and see what the hell is going on."

"I'll see him for work on Wednesday and Thursday." Bella stretched her legs out in front of her. "Do I say something or do I act like nothing happened?"

"No, no, no, don't say anything." Alice came to a stop in front of Bella's chair and placed her hands on her hips. "Leave your personal baggage at the door and be on your best professional behavior. If he doesn't text or call you – for reasons not related to work – by Friday, then it's time to call him. We can even come over and hold your hand while you do it."

Bella looked pointedly at me. "What are your thoughts?"

"I'm keeping my opinions to myself. They only seem to get me into trouble."

"How about you try to keep your opinions in the tactful range and share them with me, please."

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all." I looked down at my hands and wrung my fingers together. "You saw what I went through with Jacob. It took my giving him ten too many second chances before I realized that people should have to earn them from me, just like they have to earn my trust."

"Rose, please, Edward hasn't done anything to Bella that's even close to the caliber of what Jacob did to you." Alice sat down on the edge of the armchair once more.

"That doesn't mean he won't in the future," I mumbled.

"Emmett could hurt you in the future too, just like Jasper could hurt me. Have we given up on them?" Sometimes Alice made the worst comparisons ever.

"Neither of them has given us a reason to give up, Alice." I held my hands up in surrender when both girls glared at me. "I'm done chiming in here. Just be careful, that's all. I don't think Edward deserves to get off the hook without doing his fair share of groveling."

"Then it's settled! You give Edward a week and then we can decide if we need to inflict bodily harm or not! Now, who wants cake?" Alice jumped up and disappeared into the kitchen.

I swallowed my pride and prepared to apologize. "Bella, I'm sorry. I honestly wasn't trying to be rude earlier."

"I know you weren't." We stood up at the same time and she gave me a hug.

"C'mon ladies!" Alice appeared in the doorway holding three forks. "Chocolate therapy awaits!"

What Alice didn't realize was that no amount of Dean and Deluca chocolate would erase the worry that had settled itself in the pit of my stomach.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **A little note - My friend Steph and I have organized a multi-fandom fiction compilation dedicated to raising money for the Special Olympics. If you're interested in becoming a contributing author, of if you want more information on how to donate and receive a copy of the compilation, visit our website, fandoms4specialolympics(dot)blogspot(dot)com. We're also on Twitter - fandoms4so.

xoxo


	3. Harder, Faster, Stronger

**A/N:** Hello loves! :)

I have some exciting news - Hot Commodity won in the Best Edward category for the Winter 2012 Sunflower Awards! *jumps up and down and claps like a kid*

As a GIANT THANK YOU for the votes, I've prepared this extra juicy outtake for you! Lots of you were wondering what happened in Bella's apartment after she and Edward returned from the bar in Chapter 10. Well, you're about to find out. ;)

Without further ado...

- N.

Characters belong to SM. Everything else belongs to me.

**Harder, Faster, Stronger**

**Bella's POV**

I pulled my shirt over my head and fumbled with my bra, tossing it to the floor when I managed to get it unfastened. I struck a pose and blew my messy hair out of my eyes. As I stood in the doorway to my bedroom, with one hand on my hip and my pants bunched awkwardly around my knees, all I could think was that I was completely failing in the trying-to-be-sexy department.

Edward didn't seem to feel that way, however, and that was all that mattered at the moment. He stopped when he saw me standing there, ran a hand through his hair, and started laughing. Of course once he started laughing then _I _started laughing, and that gave him the perfect opportunity to sprint across my living room and toss me over his shoulder. He slapped my ass playfully and spun me around once before depositing me on my bed and pulling off his hoodie and t-shirt.

"Let me." I sat up and grabbed the waist of his pants forcefully so that he'd realize it wasn't a question. Edward clasped his hands behind his back and grinned.

"As you wish."

I looked up at him through my eyelashes and wet my lips. I took my time undoing each button, enjoying how it felt to be in control of the situation.

"Looks like someone is a little impatient," I teased, running my fingertips down the outsides of his thighs. He gritted his teeth and groaned, thrusting his hips towards me. He sucked in a sharp breath when I dipped my fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs.

"Impatient, yes." His words tumbled out at the same time his cock sprang free from its cotton confines. "I don't know that I'd call that little though."

I pushed his boxer briefs down until they were sitting just below his knees and grabbed the base of his cock with one hand. I stroked upward, circling the tip with my thumb and spreading out the clear liquid that was pooled there.

"Perhaps a lesson in patience is exactly what you need." I leaned forward and flicked my tongue against the tip of his cock. His knees buckled slightly and he shuffled a few inches closer to me. I pulled my head back and shook my head wickedly, pumping my hand up and down his length at a slow, deliberate pace.

"Ah, ah, ah." I continued my slow, torturous assault, tightening my grip slightly on each upstroke.

"God, Bella, why are you teasing me?"

"I'm not teasing you." I ran my tongue up the underside of his shaft and sucked the head into my mouth. My teeth grazed his skin lightly and he fisted my hair with his hands. I pulled my mouth away and smiled sweetly up at him. "I'm teaching you the art of self-control."

"Fuck self-control." He pulled my head toward him, but I used my arms to brace myself against his thighs.

"Patience," I whispered, swirling my tongue around the tip of his cock, "is a virtue, Edward. Didn't your parents teach you anything?"

He hissed through gritted teeth. "Persistence – that's what my parents taught me."

I giggled and swung my legs around so I was sitting on the edge of the bed. As much as I loved to tease him, I wanted to taste him even more. "Well, it looks like your persistence is going to pay off, Mr. Cullen."

I locked my eyes with his and wrapped my lips around him, continuing to grip the base of his cock in my hand while I sucked his length in as far as I could. He moaned and ran his fingers down my arm and across my chest, bending his knees slightly and rolling my nipple between his fingers.

"That feels so good, Bella," he breathed, closing his eyes and rolling his head back. I smiled internally. I didn't have a laundry list of sexual partners (something I prided myself on, thank you very much), but damn if I wasn't good at providing the few I did with amazing oral entertainment.

I opened my mouth and dragged my teeth gently up his shaft. Edward sucked in a sharp breath and his legs twitched. I ran my tongue up the inside of one of his thighs, letting it slide across his balls and up the underside of his cock. I took his cock in my mouth once again, drawing it in and out several times before he grabbed my arms and pushed me away.

"What's wrong?" I might not have had many partners, but I knew Edward did, and I was afraid I hadn't quite met his blowjob expectations.

"You're really asking me what's wrong?" He shrugged his boxer briefs down and kicked them aside.

"Uh, yes," I answered stupidly. He kneeled in front of me and tugged off my sneakers. I took the hint and lay back, sticking my legs out so he could pull my jeans and panties the rest of the way off.

"You're a fool for thinking that." He pushed my legs apart as far as they would go and pressed his lips against the inside of my thigh. "I only had you stop because it was too much."

I opened my mouth to respond at the same time his tongue met my pussy. My back started to arch up off the bed, but he grabbed my hips with both hands and held me down. His tongue continued its teasing assault, moving up through my folds until it flicked gently against my clit.

"Mmmmm," I moaned, trying once again to arch my back. His lips wrapped around my clit and he sucked gently, letting go of one hip so he could slide two fingers into my wetness.

"Touch yourself," he murmured against me. The vibrations from his lips did wondrous things to the rest of me. He pulled back and blew a breath of cool air across my hot, sensitive skin. I bit my lip and looked down at him, watching his fingers move in and out of my most intimate spot. He curled them upward and ran them slowly over the spot that so many men couldn't find. _God bless Cullen's fingers._

"Touch yourself, Bella," he repeated.

I brought my hands to my breasts and pushed them together, pinching my nipples and letting out a soft gasp. Edward smirked and returned his mouth to the apex between my thighs. He worked his tongue in ways I didn't think possible, and by the time he was flicking it hard and fast against my clit, I was squirming and yelling obscenities out into my otherwise empty bedroom.

"I wouldn't mind spending the entire weekend down there," he said, crashing his mouth against mine and slipping his tongue between my lips. I could taste myself on him and it was entirely erotic. He slid his body against mine, and I could feel his hardness pressing against my abdomen.

I grabbed his face and stared into his eyes. "I want you inside me – now." Edward sat up so he was resting on his knees and reached his hands out. I grabbed them and he pulled me up into a sitting position.

"Turn over?" It came out as a question and I was more than happy to oblige. I nodded eagerly and rolled so I was supporting myself on my hands and knees. I felt Edward leave the bed and heard the sound of a condom wrapper tearing. A minute later he was back, grabbing my hips and pulling me back toward him until I felt the tip of his cock pressing against me. Seth was the only guy that had taken me in this position, which was unfortunate considering the fact that it was my favorite. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, pushing against him until I felt the tip of his cock slip inside.

"I can't guarantee I'll be slow, Bella." Edward pushed his cock forward, stopping when he was fully sheathed in my heat. "You feel so good, baby. I just want to…" He pulled out slowly and thrust back in hard, making his desires quite clear.

"I don't want you to be slow, Edward." I leaned forward so I was resting on my elbows, drawing him deeper inside me. He pulled back out and thrust hard into me again, causing me to yelp in surprise.

"God, you're so tight," he squeezed my hips and started moving in and out at a hard, fast pace. "Every inch of you feels so good, Bella." He reached around and pinched my clit between his fingers. "You're so wet for me, baby. Jesus fucking Christ…"

I turned my head and looked over my shoulder. Edward's eyes were closed and he had his bottom lip tugged between his teeth. His brow was furrowed and a thin coating of sweat covered his entire body.

"That's so good, Edward," I moaned, reaching between my legs and mingling my fingers with his. He wasn't exaggerating when he said how wet I was. Heavy breaths, grunts, moans, and the sound of skin meeting skin combined to create the perfect soundtrack to our wild romp.

He grabbed my hair and tugged on it, pulling me back until I was sitting up with my back flush against his chest. He covered my breasts with his hands, rolling and tugging at my nipples. I leaned my head back against his chest, which gave him access to my neck, and Edward bit my earlobe gently before resting his forehead against my sweaty skin. His fingers found their way back to my clit, and he began rubbing it in tight, fast circles. He wrapped his free arm around my shoulder and pounded his cock into me. I tried to meet his thrusts, but my body was now at the mercy of the orgasm that had started to tear through it.

"EDWARD!" I screamed, slumping forward. My body shook and I saw one hell of a fireworks show when I closed my eyes. I felt like I was suspended above my bed, drifting along on a cloud made of pure ecstasy. I couldn't think and I probably couldn't formulate a full sentence if I wanted to. The only thing I could focus on was the immense pleasure I felt.

"Bella, I'm so fucking close," Edward moaned into my hair. He let go of my shoulder and nudged my back. I slid forward until my body was flat against the bed. He continued his assault, thrusting into me so hard that the headboard slammed against the wall. I fisted the sheets in my hands and cried out again when his cock found the pleasure trigger inside of me, pushing me into the welcoming arms of my almost immediate second orgasm. His thrusts were so deep they were borderline painful, but I didn't want him to stop. I'd never had sex like this before and I was pretty sure I never would again if it wasn't with Edward.

"Fuck, Bella!" He pumped into me two more times and then I felt his cock twitch as he found his release. He was still for a moment before collapsing on top of me.

I could barely open my eyes, let alone try and speak. He pulled his hips back and I gasped when he slid out of me. I thought about rolling over on my side, but I was too sated to move.

"I'll be right back," he said, and a minute later I heard the bathroom sink running. I let out a happy sigh and laid my cheek on the bed and opened my eyes. I thought about going and getting us some water, just as he had last weekend, but I assumed he'd probably go home soon, and so I elected to stay in my post-coital bliss bubble for just a bit longer.

My eyes widened in surprise when I felt the bed dip and his arm slid around me. "Are you alive?" he whispered teasingly. I smirked and stretched my arms out above my head.

"Barely," I murmured. Edward ran his fingers up and down my back, stopping to trace the outline of my shoulder blades.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Mmm hmm." It was the best I could do for a response.

"That was the best sex I've ever had." He pushed my hair away from my face and sucked my earlobe into his mouth, nibbling on it gently. I decided now was a good time to move, and I rolled onto my side so he was spooning me.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

He laughed. "I suppose so. It's only fair, right?"

"We officially have at least one thing in common, because that was easily the best sex I've ever had as well." I leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around my stomach.

"Can I stay over?"

I smiled and let out a sigh of contentment. "Do you really think I'm sober enough to say no to that?"

He chuckled and pressed his lips against the nape of my neck.

I was fast asleep before he could give me an answer.

* * *

><p><strong>Edward's POV<strong>

At five in the morning I woke up.

Bella's body was wrapped around mine and her head rested against my chest. I was tempted to get up, but instead I remained still and looked at her.

When the moonlight hit her hair, I could see soft caramel colored strands mingled in with the darker brown ones. Her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks, and I found myself wondering if she was dreaming, and if so, what she was dreaming of. My eyes roamed the length of her body, and I took in every detail of every curve. I knew that whatever it was we currently shared would inevitably have to come to an end, and I didn't want to forget anything about her when it did.

I brought my hands behind my head and leaned back into the pillow. I should leave. I'd already broken one rule by letting her spend the night at my house last weekend; I didn't need to break another by still being here when she woke up in a few hours. There was no need to make this more complicated than it already was.

I couldn't bring myself to go, however.

For a second, I wished I'd never gone to the Guggenheim event. Then I wouldn't be here, walking the fine line between maintaining my composure and entering into territory where I could potentially get hurt.

That wish vanished when Bella sighed and snuggled closer to me.

This was where I wanted to be.

Where I needed to be.

Whether I could handle staying here or not, however, was the real question.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hot Commodity itself is almost to 500 reviews. I just might have another citrusy treat in store for everyone when we get there! :)

One final thing - My friend Steph (byrd009) and I have started a compilation dedicated to raising money for the Special Olympics. Check out the site fandoms4specialolympics(dot)blogspot(dot)com to see how to sign up to contribute or how to donate to receive the compilation. And follow us on twitter at fandoms4SO if you'd like. :)

THANK YOU AGAIN! You guys make me smile like a fucking giddy school girl.

xoxo


	4. Please Pass the Flogger

**A/N: **This is one of my many LONG overdue outtakes. This outtake is my personal thank you for Hot Commodity hitting 500 reviews. :)

Chloe Masen may have requested to see this scene. A big shout out goes to her for all her help with my writing and with keeping me sane.

WitchyVampireGirl was kind enough to act as a pre-reader on this. Thanks a million babe!

For the love of god, PLEASE READ THIS SENTENCE: This outtake contains M/M slash. It's nothing hard core, and quite honestly it's a genre I don't write or read typically, but I wanted to give everyone a big heads up before proceeding. If it's not your cup of tea, you might not want to glance at this outtake.

One last HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has read, reviewed, rec'd, or taken a peek at Hot Commodity. It reached 1K reviews with the last update. Never in a million years did I think I'd write _anything_ that would hit that, and it means so much to me. I'm glad others can enjoy this cast of characters as much as I do. :)

- N.

Characters belong to SM. Everything else belongs to me.

**Please Pass the Flogger**

**Mike's POV**

Cell phone?

Check.

Wallet?

Check.

Keys?

Check.

When I was absolutely positive I had all my goods, I threw on my new Marc Jacobs leather jacket and headed out the door.

I hadn't been on a blind date in years. I preferred to personally select the men that would potentially end up in my bed.

"Taxi!" I belted out, waving my hand in the air. Two yellow cabs sped past me before a third finally came to a screeching halt next to the curb.

"Where to?" The driver's accent was so thick I barely understood him.

"Thompson and Bleecker." I glanced at my phone, checking the time and my texts. I had one from Alice and two from Bella.

_**You didn't cancel the date, did you? – A. **_

_**Where are you? I thought we were having drinks tonight? – B. **_

_**Oops – I forgot about your date! Good luck! Don't do anything I wouldn't do! ;) – B. **_

I snickered. I couldn't even remember the last time Bella mentioned seeing a cock, let alone touching one. She wasn't innocent by any means, but age had definitely brought her some wisdom, and with that wisdom came a certain degree of selectiveness in the areas of dating and hooking up. Needless to say, it wouldn't be hard for me to do something she wouldn't. I shot quick texts back to the girls letting them know I'd call them both tomorrow and pulled out some cash to pay the cab driver with.

Flame was the hottest new gay club in town. I had yet to go there, so I was happy when Caius suggested it as a meeting place. I stepped out of the taxi and headed straight for the bouncer, bypassing the line of people waiting to get in.

"Newton! I was wondering when you'd get that cute little ass down here!" The bouncer unhooked one of the velvet ropes and let me in without question. That was one of the perks of working in the fashion industry; you got connected with a majority of the "important" people in the city.

"Well, if you wanted this cute little ass down here sooner, you should have offered up an invitation!" I winked over my shoulder and gave my ass a slap for effect. A few of the guys standing in line whooped, and some ladies (who I assumed were straight) whistled. I smiled to myself and sauntered inside, looking toward the bar where Caius had told me to meet him.

It didn't take long to see him. He was at least a good three inches taller than my 6'2" frame, with slicked back white-blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He looked completely out of place in his dress pants and fitted sweater, but I wasn't about to complain. The dark colored fabric clung to just the right places and showed off his sculpted chest muscles.

I looked down at my distressed skinny jeans and tight, long-sleeved solid grey colored shirt. For the first time in a long time I felt inadequate. _Oh stop, right now! Who the fuck comes to a club in business attire anyway?_

I squared my shoulders and headed in his direction. I was a few feet away when ours eyes met and a smile spread across his face.

"You must be Michael." He stood and extended his hand. I shook it and nodded, returning his smile.

"Please, call me Mike. And you must be Caius."

He sank back down onto the bar stool and picked his drink up, lifting it to his lips and letting his eyes roam over me.

_Good God, would you look at that jaw…_

"Alice wasn't lying when she said you were hot." He set his drink back down and gestured to the stool next to him. "Care to sit and have a drink, or should we skip the formalities and get the hell out of here?"

My mouth started to fall open but I caught myself before it did. I'd never been out with anyone who was quite this forward, or who wanted to get down to business _before _having several rounds of drinks.

"I'd like to have a few drinks, if you don't mind." I wet my lips nervously and waved over the bartender. "Jack and Coke please."

"What do you do for a living?" Caius's eyes hadn't left my face since I sat down.

"I'm a stylist."

"A stylist for what?"

"I work in the fashion industry," I explained, sipping my drink. The bartender had gone heavy on the whiskey, and I scrunched my nose up in disapproval. "I work on photo shoots mainly, but I've done some celebrity styling as well."

Caius dipped his finger in his drink and swirled it around. He pulled it from the opaque colored liquid and dragged it across his lower lip before taking it in his mouth and sucking the alcohol off of it.

Holy hell was this man sexy. My dick twitched in agreement.

"Have you worked on any major shoots?"

I nodded. "I do regular work with several of the more popular fashion magazines." I didn't want to give _too _much about myself away. We were only fifteen minutes into our first date, and for all I knew this guy could be a closet case serial killer or something. "What is it that you do?"

"I'm a lawyer." Caius ordered another drink. "I handle mostly corporate cases, but sometimes I do employment law cases as well."

"Alice set me up with a lawyer?" I laughed.

He smirked and narrowed his eyes. "Not all attorneys are … _vanilla_, for lack of a better term."

"Vanilla?" I felt like an ass for having to ask what he meant.

"Boring, stiff, straight laced," Caius answered. "In other words, we don't all cause a room full of people to nod off within five minutes."

"I don't know how anyone could nod off with you in a room. You're sex on a stick, for fucks sakes!" I reached up and covered my mouth embarrassingly. One drink down and my already thin brain-to-mouth filter was coming unglued.

Lucky for me Caius just laughed. "And here I thought Alice was just exaggerating."

"Exaggerating? Oh mercy, what did she tell you?"

"Nothing bad," he smirked and took a sip of his drink. "She just mentioned that you don't have a problem being … _up front _with your thoughts. And feelings."

I made a mental note to kick Alice square in the fanny when I saw her tomorrow. "I have been known to speak my mind. It usually doesn't get me into trouble, although I can think of a few exceptions."

"Tonight might end up being one of them," Caius mumbled under his breath. I had no idea what he meant by that statement, but I was dying to find out.

The more we drank, the easier our conversation was, and soon all the nervousness I'd felt at the beginning of the evening had vanished. By the time I got the last of my fifth drink down we were eyefucking one another so hard that I wondered why we weren't back at his place doing some real fucking.

Caius leaned forward until his lips were a mere inches from my ear. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

Great minds always thought alike.

"Hell yeah."

We closed out our tabs and I followed him outside. Minutes later his hand was working its way up my thigh in the backseat at of a cab. I normally frowned on public behavior of this sort. Then again, I was thoroughly intoxicated and as horny as a sixteen year old at that moment.

I grabbed his hand and placed it on my crotch, running his palm against my length on top of my jeans. "I believe this is what you're looking for."

He smirked again. "You're going to be a fun one to play with."

_Play with?_

I dismissed the unease that accompanied my thoughts and laughed. "Why waste time playing when we can just get down to the good stuff?"

"Oh, but I love to play." Caius winked and fixed his attention on the driver. "Take the next right and it's the building on the corner."

When the taxi came to a stop in front of his apartment, I almost creamed my pants. I'd been dreaming of owning a unit in this building since I moved to New York. It was eighteen stories of Park Avenue perfection. I had to stop myself from literally squealing when the doorman pushed the penthouse button for us in the elevator.

I thought I was going to pass out when we were finally inside of his place. It took up the entire top two floors of the building, had access to a rooftop terrace and pool, and the most amazing view I'd ever encountered. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows surrounded every room, hardwood floors filled the first level, and a kitchen the size of my entire apartment made this heavenly space that he called home complete.

"This place is fucking beautiful!"

"I know." He gestured to the stairs. "Care to see the better half of it?"

His tone sent a jolt of electricity through me, and his eyes … the expression in them was enough to make me have to resist dropping my pants right then and there.

"Absolutely," I said with a nod. The second level was just as stunning as the first. There were two large guest bedrooms, an exorbitantly huge master bedroom, an office, and a master bath complete with a Jacuzzi tub. There was also a room off of the master bedroom, which I took it upon myself to inquire about.

"What's in there?"

"It's my … well, let's just say it's like a hobby room. I can show it to you if you want. But, there is one rule you have to follow."

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What's that?"

He tugged at the neck of his sweater, pulling it and the t-shirt below over his head. I resisted the urge to moan when I took in the sight of him. He was nothing but abs and perfect skin and soft hair that begged to be gripped and tugged at. "Clothes aren't allowed."

My eyes grew wide and I swallowed hard. "You don't waste any time getting down to business, do you?"

His hands moved to his belt, and I watched as long, slender fingers unclasped it and then popped his button. He slid his dress pants off, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black socks and grey boxer briefs.

"Time is a precious thing, Michael." I shivered involuntarily when he said my name. "I do believe it's your turn."

I took a deep breath and toed off my shoes. My shirt was the next thing to go, followed by my pants. Caius looked me up and down and then stepped forward and hooked his fingers in the waistband of my boxer briefs.

"You're sure you can handle this?"

"I've been naked plenty of times before, honey. I'm sure I can make it through another one."

Caius chuckled; a deep, dark chuckle that sent a trill of fear down my spine. "Whatever you say." He pulled the cotton barrier off and let it fall to the floor. "_Very _nice."

"I'm glad you approve," I whispered, pushing his boxer briefs down so that we were in the same state of undress. "Now, I believe we meet your requirements. Can I see the room?"

Something unfamiliar flashed behind his eyes, and then he was entering a series of numbers into a keypad on the wall. The door unlocked and Caius pushed it open.

My jaw was on the floor before I even crossed the threshold.

_This looks like something out of a horror movie._

There was a tall, rectangular shaped cage in the middle of the room. To the right of the cage was a large, wooden shaped "X" with metal cuffs attached to each of the four corners. A thick metal stand kept the contraption from falling. A table in the corner of the room held an array of objects, including some leather cuffs with some strange metal bar between then, a smaller version of what looked like jumper cables, and several jelly butt plugs of different shapes and sizes. A curtain sanctioned off the far left corner of the room, and I couldn't help but wonder what was hidden behind it.

I made no attempt to conceal my shock. "What the fuck is all this?"

Caius nudged me forward with his elbow. Soon we were both standing in the room and I heard the door latch behind us. "My hobbies." He picked up a leather object that looked like a multi-colored miniature mop head and slapped it against my thigh playfully. "Maybe now you understand why clothes aren't allowed."

I swallowed and took a few steps away from him. My eyes scanned the room again, looking for some exit route, but the door we came in appeared to be the only one to the room.

"Having second thoughts?" Caius cocked his head to the side and ran his fingers along the edge of the cage.

"Um, I uh… no, no second thoughts. I was just, um, admiring the uh, the variety of items you have in here."

"Are you familiar with sadomasochism?" He turned to face me and crossed his arms over his chest.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I shook my head.

"I want you to please me tonight, Mike." He took a step toward me. I, in turn, took a step back. "But to do so, I want you let me inflict a certain amount of … pain on you."

I could literally feel the color drain from my face. "Pain?"

He nodded. "Seeing others experience pain in a pleasing manner turns me on, Mike. It does things to me that you wouldn't believe. I want to dominate you tonight, and if you agree, I expect you'll submit to me."

I glanced to my left at the door, wondering if it was in fact locked or simply latched. I took a small step in that direction, trying to maintain some composure on the outside while freaking the fuck out on the inside.

"Leaving so soon?" Caius took two more steps toward me, stopping when he was about a foot away. "The fun hasn't even started."

"I … I, uh, I need to use the restroom before the fun begins." My words came out in one big, jumbled rush. Caius cocked his head to the side and eyed me suspiciously.

"What if I told you that you couldn't use the bathroom until I deemed it appropriate?"

"I'd pop a squat over there in the corner."

He wrinkled his nose and made a shooing gesture with his hand. "Go use the restroom then. I'll get some things set up while you're gone."

"Thanks. I'll be right back."

"Michael!" I turned to face him once more. "Would you mind putting these on while you're in there?" He crossed the room and opened one of the dresser drawers, removing what appeared to be a pair of assless leather pants. I nodded and grabbed the offensive clothing, thinking it would be best to play along until I could get one of the girls to come over and rescue me.

As soon as I was out of the room and away from his line of vision, I grabbed my jeans from the floor and bolted to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and pulled my cell phone out of the pocket of my pants.

"Alice?"

"Mike? Where are you? Why on Earth are you whispering?"

"Get your spunky little ass over to Caius's penthouse and help me right now!"

"Help you? What's going on?" Alice sounded more amused than worried, and that only pissed me off.

"What's going on is that _you _set me up with a freak! He has a fucking cage in the middle of his hobby room or whatever the fuck he referred to it as!" I sat down on the toilet and dropped my head to my hands. "You need to get over here, ring the bell, and get me the fuck out of here."

"Where are you now?"

"I'm in the bathroom, which he wasn't going to let me use, by the way. I had to threaten to lay one out on his floor to get him to cooperate with me."

Alice giggled. "Why can't you get dressed and go? I mean, you're out of the room, right?"

"Alice Erickson, stop trying to weasel your way out of fixing this mess you created!" I took a deep breath and lowered my voice. "This place has a security system like Fort fucking Knox. I don't think I'd know how to open the front door without setting off ninety different alarms. Now please, for the love of fuck, get over here and help me!"

"Okay, okay." The noise in the background told me that Alice wasn't alone. "Bella is with me, so I'm bringing her along. Strength in numbers, right?"

"Bring anyone you want. How soon can you get here?"

"Ten minutes?"

"Make it a quick ten!" I ended the call and slid the phone back into the pocket of my jeans. Remembering Caius's request, I squeezed myself into the too-tight leather pants and made my way back to him, dropping my jeans on the floor on the way.

My eyes grew wide when I saw what Caius had been busy doing. A pair of thick metal cuffs hung from the top bars of the cage and one side of it was now open. Strange music played from somewhere behind the curtain, and Caius was wearing matching leather pants and held what appeared to be a cock ring strung on a chain in one of his hands.

"Are you ready to have some fun?"

I swallowed my nervousness and forced myself to smile. "Absolutely. I'm going in the cage, I presume?"

He nodded. "In the cage and in the cuffs." When I walked past him, he grabbed my wrist and spun me around. His hands were on my cock in an instant, and after he freed it from the leather confines, he slipped the cock ring on and pulled – hard – on the leash it was attached to. Much to my surprise, this action made my dick swell.

I stepped in the cage and tried to ignore the fear I felt. Caius pressed his chest flat against my back and reached above us, fastening my wrists securely in the cuffs. His nose ran through my hair and he inhaled my scent, running his tongue down the back of my neck and biting my shoulder. The door to the cage clanked shut and then he was standing in front of me.

"You have no idea how fucking hot you look like this. Completely helpless, under my control, at my mercy." He reached down and stroked himself through his pants. I bit my lip and watched, unable to deny the fact that I was getting turned on.

"You're going to watch me pleasure myself," he continued, popping the button on his pants and reaching for the zipper. My traitorous dick twitched in anticipation and I closed my eyes, running my tongue over my bottom lip.

"Keep your eyes open!" he belted out, tugging roughly on the leash that was affixed to my painfully hard erection. I cried out as an intense combination of pain and pleasure hit me.

"This clearly isn't going to work." He dropped the leash and made his way over to the table, grabbing what looked like a black bouncy ball with a leather collar attached to it. He walked around the cage, opening the door once more and stepping inside with me. He shoved the ball in my mouth and hooked the collar behind my head, pulling it tight enough that I couldn't move my mouth to speak. "Much better."

"Ungh," I groaned.

"This, Michael, is a flogger." Caius held up the object that looked like a leather mop head. "Normally I'd use a whip or perhaps a switch to punish you for being loud, but since you're new to this I'll be more ... forgiving." He moved around to the side of the cage and brought his hand behind me. His used his free hand to tug hard on the cock ring at the same time the flogger met my ass with a smack.

Tears sprang to my eyes; not from pain, but from fear. I was in a completely fucked up situation with a guy I barely knew, with no way to defend myself and no way to ask him to stop if his actions became too much.

Fortunately I was saved by the girls.

_Ding, dong._

"Shit!" He glanced over his shoulder, dropping the leash and tossing the flogger on the floor next to him.

"I don't think I'm going to answer that," he said with a smirk. His attention turned back to the table, and he grabbed one of the butt plugs.

_Ding, dong._

"FUCK!" Dropping the jelly object on the table, he turned and left the room angrily. Within minutes I could hear Alice and Bella's voices.

"Where is he?" Alice sounded mad.

"I'm only going to ask this one more time – what the hell are you doing here, Alice?" Voices grew louder as they ascended the stairs and entered the master bedroom.

"I'm here to get my friend. You know, the one you-" Alice's words cut off as soon as she got a glimpse of me in the cage. Her eyes grew wide and her hand flew up to cover her mouth.

"The one I what exactly?" Caius pushed past her and entered the room, hands on his hips and a nasty glare on his face. "The one I was just starting to have an enjoyable evening with?"

"Did you even bother to ask him if it was enjoyable?" This time it was Bella's voice I heard, just as her head poked around Alice's.

"Your rescue rangers are here for you, Michael." Caius opened the door to the cage and narrowed his eyes at me. "Unless you want to stay, of course. You're a grown man, they can't make you do anything."

I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut, unwilling to look at his expression.

"He's coming with us," Bella said forcefully.

Caius laughed –a dark, bitter laugh – before unlatching the cuffs and ball gag, and jerking the cock ring painfully off of me. "You're a fucking mama's boy. It's no wonder you're single."

I stepped out of the cage and around him. Bella reached past Alice and handed me my clothes. I slid the leather pants off and quickly dressed myself in my attire from earlier in the evening.

"I take it your father doesn't know about your little recreational area?" Alice placed a hand on her hip and glared at Caius.

"It's none of his fucking business what I do in my spare time."

"Yeah, well, you'll be lucky if I don't tell him." Alice grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the door. "C'mon Newton."

I didn't bother looking back before we left.

"I have to say, you looked pretty damn good in those pants," Bella joked. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms tightly over my chest, following the two of them to the elevator.

"At least he wasn't a serial killer," Alice pointed out.

"Fuck you, Erickson. We are so not on speaking terms."

By the time we reached the street, I was absolutely sure of three things:

I would never own a pair of leather pants.

I would never trust a lawyer.

And I was never letting Alice set me up on a blind date again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **One final thing - I'm not incredibly familiar with any parts of BDSM outside of the research I did to write this outtake, but I do know that in a RL situation Caius wouldn't automatically be an asshole just because he practices this. For the purpose of this outtake, however, I wanted him to be an asshole, hence the reason he didn't necessarily give Mike much of a choice, etc. etc.**  
><strong>


	5. Happy Hookers

**A/N:** Greetings from beautiful New England!

This outtake appeared in the Fandom Fights Hurricane Sandy compilation. It's meant to be humorous, with a few specks of seriousness added in here and there.

Thanks to the lovely beegurl13 for the banner, which can be found on my blog (link is on my profile).

Enjoy!

- N.

Characters belong to SM. People, places, and things all belong to their rightful owners. What happens to these two is all on me.

**Charlie's POV**

I stared at my gun belt for what seemed like forever, deciding whether I wanted to bring it on today's outing. I hadn't worn it in years, but then again a situation warranting its use hadn't arose either.

Until now.

My daughter had a knack for picking not-so-great men to get involved with. In fact, my mind contained a whole arsenal of memories surrounding her poor romantic decisions…

_May 16, 1998. Bella was finishing up her sophomore year of high school, but low and behold some arrogant senior by the name of Brandon Johnson asked her to accompany him to the prom. Bella was filled with excitement, mostly because she'd never been asked to any type of dance before. Renee was over-the-top because the young man was quarterback of the football team and ran with the social circle she always wished Bella would run with. Meanwhile, I was disgusted by the fact that my little girl was old enough to date, and irritated with her and her mother's excitement. _

_The night of the dance, Bella brought him into the living room for a formal introduction. "Dad, this is Brandon Johnson. Brandon, please meet my dad Charlie Swan." He gave me an arrogant smirk and attempted to shake my hand. Instead of accepting his greeting, I pulled back my flannel shirt, revealing my Glock G22 .40 nestled snugly in a shoulder holster. _

"_Bella's curfew is eleven. No drugs, no drinking, and none of that other stupid shit that teenagers do." I leveled him with a hard stare. "Prom may be in Port Angeles, but don't for a minute think I don't know what's going on in this half of the Olympic Peninsula."_

"_Y-y-yes s-sir," he stuttered out, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at his feet. I smiled in satisfaction and sank back into my recliner, propping my feet up on the ottoman and turning my attention back to the Mariners game. _

"_Thanks a lot dad," Bella hissed, looping her arm though Brandon's and leading him out the front door. _

_Five hours later, Brandon's true colors came out and his best friend revealed that Brandon had made a bet with some of the other football players that he could bed the police chief's daughter on prom night. _

_By the time Renee and I got there to pick Bella up, her date was three sheets to the wind, wearing only his underwear and hanging off the balcony of the hotel room he'd brought her back to. Needless to say he was arrested, and that was the last any of us heard of him. _

…

_June 21, 2003. Bella was back in Forks for the weekend with her boyfriend, Seth Anderson. I had to hand it to her, Seth was a nice guy and he seemed to have his head on straight. I tried not to dwell too much on the fact that he was from Wisconsin (I despised their football team and their beer), or that sometimes he'd slip his hand in the back pocket of Bella's jeans like he was claiming his territory. She was twenty-one now and nothing her mother or I said was going to stop her from behaving in ways we preferred she didn't. _

_Seth was always polite to both Renee and me, but there was just something about him that made me question how serious he was regarding his relationship with Bella. When graduation came and went, and Seth announced he was moving back to Wisconsin – with or without Bella by his side – I knew my suspicions were justified. Rose and Alice guided her through her first big breakup, and I crossed my fingers that she'd take a break from dating and focus on her new life in the city. _

…

_January 10, 2009. Ben Nelson was nothing but trouble. I didn't even have to meet him once to know this. He was a guitarist for a rock band, had shaggy hair and a constant beard, and decorated his skin with tattoos that made no sense to anyone. _

_Bella didn't see it that way, however. To her, he hung the moon and stars, walked on water, and could do no wrong. Female attention followed him wherever he went, and even though she pretended like it didn't bother her, annoyance was always evident in her features. _

_Renee and I were at the Thriftway when we got the call. Our daughter was in tears once again, this time because Ben's band got a record deal that would require them to relocate to Chicago. Bella was considering making the move, but wasn't sure what to do. Her life was in Manhattan, her business was in Manhattan, and she didn't want to leave all of that behind. On the other hand, she didn't want to give up this man she loved either. Renee assured her everything would be okay in the end, and fate would work its magic, but in reality nobody knew what was going to happen. _

_Two weeks after that call Ben was gone. He told Bella she could have some time to think about her options, but took off to Chicago before she could give him a final answer. His number was changed, his Facebook was gone, and she never heard from him again._

…

Ben marked the end of my darling daughter's dating history.

Until Edward Cullen came along and caught her eye, that is. Renee had been talking about their upcoming visit to Forks for weeks. Last night, I took it upon myself to Google him. Sure, he seemed nice, and I'd actually referred to him as "son" on more than one occasion throughout the evening, but something just felt off. So, I decided a bit of investigating was necessary.

What I found was not something a concerned father would want to see. Simply put, he was a manwhore. The guy had dated – and presumably slept with – half of the socialites in the city, and probably even a housewife or two from Jersey. He had good business skills and a brain that was made for finance, but I couldn't find any other redeeming qualities in the madness on the web.

When my wife caught me red handed, she confiscated the laptop and told me to give Edward a chance. Apparently his past was no secret – to Bella or her group of friends – but after spending time with him and witnessing his behavior, our daughter was convinced he was in the process of changing for the better.

He passed my first test by giving me a strong, self-assured handshake the day before. Now it was time to lay my second test on him: seeing whether or not he could survive an afternoon of steelhead fishing punctuated by two or three rounds of Charlie Swan style questioning.

"Hi dad!" Bella wandered into my study, distracting me and planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Afternoon, Bell." I smiled and closed the drawer that housed my gun belt. "Where's Edward?"

"Mom lured him into the kitchen with her rhubarb crisp."

I smirked. "Leave it to your mother to use pastries to her advantage."

"Promise you won't be too hard on him today, dad," Bella sank into the chair across from me and rested her elbows against her knees. "I know you worry, and I love you for that, but I really, really like this one."

"And from what I saw online, he really, really likes schmoozing with the ladies." I regretted the comment immediately when I saw how her face fell. "Aw, Bell, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just worry about you, and he doesn't exactly have the cleanest slate back in Manhattan."

"Everyone's slate gets dirtied up at one point or another." She looked out the window and sighed. "I know Edward has made mistakes – a fair share of them to be totally honest – but I can tell you, and so can Alice and Rose, that he's different now. This thing we have isn't the same as what he's had with the women you read about on the internet."

I leaned my chair back, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers and closing my eyes. I wasn't the type of dad who sat down and had relationship discussions with his daughter. I'd always been content to leave that dirty work for my wife.

There was no point in arguing. "I make no promises, but I'll try to be on my best behavior."

"Thank you," she whispered, reaching out and squeezing my arm appreciatively.

"Well, let's this started then, shall we?" I stood abruptly, raking my fingers through my hair and sliding my hands into my pockets. Displays of affection made me uncomfortable, even when they came from family.

Bella led the way to the kitchen, where I found my wife busy playing hostess and flirting up a storm. "Afternoon, Edward."

"Good afternoon Mr. – I mean, Charlie." Edward offered up a smile that no doubt dazzled both my wife and daughter.

"There's a pair of waders and some gear laid out for you in the living room," I explained. "Go ahead and change and I'll get everything else ready."

Edward nodded and headed off. Renee shook her head and gave me a stern glare. "Charles Swan, you promised me you'd behave today."

I held my hands up in a gesture of innocence and walked to the fridge. "I am behaving."

"The day isn't over yet."

I grabbed a large Ziploc bag of prawns and dropped it in the picnic basket Renee was filling up. "Do you really think I'd intentionally ruin a perfectly good afternoon of fishing?"

This time it was Bella who spoke. "Do you really want us to answer that?"

"Does this look okay?" Edward stepped back in the room, decked out in winter fly-fishing gear. Suspicions aside, I had to smile. He looked like a natural.

"I have to get a picture of this!" Renee disappeared and returned a moment later with her camera. "Bella, stand next to Edward." She snapped a few pictures and then waved her hand at me. "Charlie, you get over there too!"

After putting us in three different poses, Renee finally decided she had enough photos and went back to assembling the picnic basket. I watched warily as Edward pulled my daughter close to him and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Prawns, sandwiches, veggie sticks, and a couple cans of Rainier; I think you two should be set."

"Prawns?" Edward narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"I use them for bait," I explained. "They work well for drift fishing, which is what we'll be doing."

"Got it."

I pulled my coat on and gathered up my things. Edward said his goodbyes to Bella and Renee and followed me out to my truck.

"So, where does steelhead fishing take place exactly?" Edward gave me a weary glance. I almost laughed out loud, but resisted the urge.

"The Sol Duc River," I explained. "We've got about two hours until sunset. I have lanterns in the back of the truck though, so we can stay out longer."

"You fish at night?"

I nodded. "Sometimes, but not too often. I prefer to get an early start. Renee makes a mean fish fry dinner."

Edward smiled at that comment, then turned his attention to the trees passing us out the window. We rode the rest of the way in silence, and the only sound that punctuated our drive was the steady _thump, thump, thump_ of the tires against the dirt road.

I parked the truck in my usual spot and hopped out. Edward followed, grabbing the picnic basket from the seat between us.

"You can leave this in the truck," I instructed, flipping the lid open and grabbing the bag of prawns. "We're going to be in the water and I don't want to leave it sitting on the shore."

Edward followed my instructions, returning to the back of the truck and staring expectantly at me.

"Put this on," I said, handing him a vest pack filled with lures, bobbers, spare line, and other essential fly-fishing items. Once he had it securely fastened, I gestured to one of the rods lying on the truck bed. "That's yours to use. It's one of my favorite rods, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't break it."

I watched the color drain from Edward's face as he collected the pole. "You didn't have any old ones lying around?"

"That one is old," I remarked, heading off down the well-beaten trail that led to the riverbank. "I'm superstitious about my fishing, kid. I never buy a new rod unless an old one breaks. These two have been around for over ten years, and they've given me my fair share of luck while fishing."

"No pressure," Edward mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"That's another thing you'll need to learn." I came to a stop at the water's edge and turned to face him. "I hear _everything_. Twenty plus years on the force does that to a man. Now, you're right, there's no pressure on you, because you're a novice who hasn't set foot in a river. I don't expect you to cast the line properly, let alone catch a damn fish. As long as you don't try to snag my earlobe or do something stupid, we'll be in good shape today, okay?"

Tiny beads of sweat covered his forehead. "Okay."

"Now, sit down over here and I'll teach you how to rig up your line." I led us to a couple of oversized boulders and plopped down, opening my own vest pack and pulling out the necessary equipment: a hook, a weight, a drift bobber, and a swivel. I showed Edward how to properly hook everything up to his line, reaching in the bag of prawns and grabbing one for each of us when the rods were ready.

"I want you to stand upriver from me, because God only knows I've learned to never trust a novice fisherman." I waded in the water until it was just above my knees, pointing off to my left so Edward knew where to stand. Once he was a good fifteen feet away from me, I raised my rod above my head and cast upriver. I watched the prawn disappear into the water and reeled my line in ever so slightly.

"Should I cast up past yours?" Edward asked. I nodded. He raised the rod above his own head before flicking it forward. His prawn fell exactly where it should, and I gave him a thumbs up.

"Very nice. Now, reel your line in just a tad and wait."

"How will I know if a fish bit it?"

"Get a good grip on the rod and pay close attention. Small ticks are normal, since your bait is drifting along the bottom of the river." I tugged at my own line, reeling it in to cast again. "Steelhead bites feel different than your average fish bite. The rod won't jerk, but it'll feel like something is trying to suck it out of your hands and swallow it. Does that make sense?"

He scrunched his nose up in confusion and shrugged. "Not really."

This would make for one great story to tell the guys. "If it feels like the pole is getting away from you, just go ahead and reel it back in, okay?"

As it turned out, those were the wrong instructions to give Edward. While I tried to enjoy the calm that accompanied a few hours of drift fishing, he was busy reeling his line in every two minutes. His hook got snagged on his waders more than once, and he almost fell in the river when the line got stuck on some rocks and wouldn't reel up.

An hour after the sun set I decided it was time to call it quits. "How do you feel about taking a break and having a sandwich and a beer?"

"Yes, please," Edward muttered, reeling his line in and making a beeline for the truck. I chuckled and reeled my own line in slowly.

"You did good for your first time," I lied when I reached the truck. Edward tugged his hat off and frowned.

"Don't lie to me, Charlie."

I doubled over in laughter. "You caught me. That was truly terrible, Edward. I don't think I've ever seen such a pitiful drift fishing performance."

"There's a reason I rarely leave the confines of the city."

I dropped the tailgate on the truck down and perched myself on the edge. Edward flipped the lid on the picnic basket open and grabbed two beers, handing one to me. I popped the top on mine and took a big gulp. I had a few questions I wanted to ask Edward, and now that we were out of the water it seemed like the perfect time to do so.

"How many women have you slept with, Edward?"

My question took him by surprise, as I intended. He leaned forward, coughing loudly and spewing a stream of beer out of his nostrils.

"Excuse me?"

"How many women have you slept with?" I put my sandwich down and held up three fingers. "I can count that number off on one hand for myself."

"Uh," he stalled, fidgeting uncomfortably. "With all due respect sir, why are you asking me this? Or telling me this?"

"Why am I asking you this?" I slid off the tailgate and spun around, placing my hands on my hips. "I'm asking you this because I don't want my daughter getting involved with a man who will turn her into nothing more than a number."

The lantern light was dim, but I could still see the color drain from Edward's face. "I don't understand where this is coming from."

"Let me enlighten you." I ran a hand through my hair and backed a few feet away from him. "Last night it dawned on me – my daughter is dating a man who's both well-known and published. So, I decided to do a bit of Googling to see exactly what kind of man you are. Imagine my dismay when every picture that popped up contained a different woman. Well, with the exception of recent ones of you and Bella."

"Sir, I can explain-" I held my hand up and silenced him.

"I'm not finished. After I got over my initial shock, I decided to have a look at some of the articles that accompanied said pictures." I fixed him with my known – and locally feared – Charlie Swan glare. "I can't count the number of times I saw the phrases 'toxic bachelor' and 'manwhore.' I don't know how you kids see things these days, but in my world neither of those is a compliment."

"They aren't compliments in my world either." Edward looked down at his hands.

I filtered through my limited knowledge bank about this guy, searching for anything I read the night before that really stood out. "Why did Bella throw a drink in your face the first time she met you?"

"Good lord, you really did do your research."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Well?"

Edward punched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "She didn't throw her drink in my face, she dumped it on my phone. I made a tasteless comment about her appearance and deserved every bit of her reaction."

I narrowed my eyes. "A tasteless comment about her appearance? What comment was that?"

Edward's cheeks and ears turned red as his embarrassment surfaced. "I don't see how these details are relevant now. It was three months ago that this happened."

"Let me explain something to you, Edward." I sat back down on the truck's tailgate and cracked my knuckles. "Bella doesn't always have the best judgment when it comes to deciding whose company she'll keep. You look good on paper; better than the rest of her boyfriends have, in fact. You're educated, you come from a good

family – or so she's told me – you're established in your field, and you have a successful career. Looking good on paper doesn't make a damn bit of a difference to me, however. We're not returning to my house until I know you don't plan on breaking my daughter's heart when you return to the city in three weeks."

A mixture of emotions crossed his face before defeat finally set in. "I told Bella she didn't need to worry about being a bitch when she had such nice tits," he admitted. "The only reason I can give you for my behavior is that I was a first class asshole at that time."

"So instead of finding out who she was and apologizing like a decent man would, you decided to contact her business partner and weasel your way onto their client roster?" I jumped up again, unable to stop myself from pacing.

All Edward could do was shrug. "She barely wanted to speak to me as her client. What makes you think she would have even answered to accept my apology?"

"I don't think she would have, which is precisely my point. Using manipulation to start a relationship doesn't win you points in my book."

Much to my surprise, Edward was quick to correct me. "I didn't initiate our relationship, Charlie. Bella made the first move."

My eyes widened in shock. "Bella asked you out?"

He nodded. "I mean, we have joint friends, so we were spending time together in social situations, but when it comes to initiating an actual relationship, that was all on her."

I opened my mouth and closed it quickly. All the gossip I'd picked through made it seem like Edward was the one who pursued my daughter, not the other way around. "Well, this comes as a surprise."

"If it makes you feel any better, she made me work for it," Edward explained.

"Well, she _is_ her mother's daughter." I scratched my chin thoughtfully. Renee and Bella would kill me if the details of this conversation ever got back to then, but I still wasn't reassured when it came to Edward's intentions. "How old are you, Edward?"

"31."

"31 and a toxic bachelor? Why is that?"

He frowned. "It's a long story."

"We've got time."

He looked up at me and sighed. "That's great, but I'm not discussing this. It's not something I care to rehash or share with anyone, quite frankly."

"Have you shared it with Bella?"

"No, I have not." Edward stood, fisting his hair in his hands and rolling his eyes. "I get that you're a protective father, Charlie. I understand that you don't want to see your daughter get hurt, and you want her with someone who will take care of her. All of that makes sense to me. I didn't come out here with you to be subjected to some ridiculous round of twenty questions, however."

"I wouldn't call this ridiculous-"

"It _is _ridiculous." When he turned to face me I could see the irritation in his features. "I feel like I've been picked up and transported back to high school. Wanting me to prove myself to you is one thing, but expecting me to do it in three hours on a fishing trip is ridiculous."

"I-"

Edward shook his head. "I need a minute to process all of this." He walked a few feet away, tugging more at his hair and kicking the ground. "Fuck!"

I sat back down with a grunt and slumped forward.

For the first time in a very long time I had run out of things to say.

* * *

><p><strong>Edward's POV<strong>

Charlie's interrogation threw me off. I knew from talking to Bella that morning that he'd likely ask me a few questions, but I wasn't expecting to have all the sordid details of my shitty past behavior thrown in my face.

I was stressing out when he started inquiring about the beginning of our relationship. I jumped on the first opportunity I had to tell him that it was Bella who made the first move by asking me out on a date. What Charlie didn't need to know was that Bella and I had slept together the night before she asked me out, and I'd spent the next month pursuing her and trying to make up for my bad behavior.

When the silence became unbearable, I decided it was time to make some sort of speech. "Charlie," I began, turning around slowly and looking at him. "I won't bother sugarcoating this, because you've made it quite clear that you're good at sifting through bullshit. My past is full of mistakes. I've treated people like shit, I've made more than one poor decision, and I'm positive there's at least three hearts in the city that I'm responsible for breaking. Bella's presence in my life changed that, however.

"At the risk of sounding like a total pussy, your daughter brings out feelings that I haven't felt in years. Bella makes me want to be better, for myself and for the other people in my life."

Charlie's eyes met mine and his expression softened. "Do you love her?"

"Yes? No? Maybe? Hell, I don't know what I'd call this feeling." I glanced back out at the dark river in front of us. "What I do know is that I could never and would never do anything to hurt your daughter, Charlie. She means too much to me to dream of doing that."

_You better hope he never finds out about that stupid bet._

Charlie stood, pacing for a moment before coming to a stop in front of me. He reached out and clamped his hand down on my shoulder, giving it a rough squeeze. "Just promise me you'll take care of her, Edward. New York is such a big city and I know she's got Rose and Alice, but," Charlie waved his hand in the air absentmindedly, "she needs someone who can protect her. She's never yet had a boyfriend who's proven he could do that."

I held Charlie's gaze for as long as I could before looking down at my hands. I wanted to protect Bella. I wanted to stay by her side, I wanted to take care of her, and I wanted to make her happy. From the looks of it, Bella – and her parents – wanted this too.

Of course the bet still hung over my head, much like a bomb ready to go off. But, as long as Jasper and Emmett stayed quiet, nobody would ever know.

"I can promise you that, Charlie." I reached my hand out and he shook it, giving me a small smile and a nod.

"I better get you home to my daughter now. She and Renee are probably wondering what the hell we're out here doing."

I helped Charlie load up the back of the truck and climbed in the cab. He turned up the heat and we started our journey back to the house.

Bella was waiting on the porch when we arrived. "How did it go?" she whispered, slipping her arms around my neck and pulling my head down for a kiss.

"The fishing part or the time spent with your dad?" I joked.

"Both."

"The fishing part was a hoot," Charlie piped in, climbing up the front steps and leaning against the railing. "Edward didn't catch a damn thing! Well, unless you count catching his own waders."

Bella laughed. "So much for looking like a natural."

"Hey, I can still look like a natural," I argued. "Now, whether or not I can actually fish like one is an entirely different story."

"I hear laughter out here." Renee cracked the screen door open and poked her head around it. "I see Edward made it back alive."

"I promised he'd make it in one piece." Charlie looked over at me and winked before turning his attention back to his wife. "We devoured your sandwiches. There doesn't happen to be any leftovers from dinner, does there?"

Renee smiled. "I told Bella you two would be hungry. There's meatloaf and au gratin potatoes warming in the oven."

Charlie kissed his wife's cheek before turning to face Bella and I. "I think you may have found yourself a keeper in this one, Bell."

Her answering smile made my heart skip a beat. "I think so too, dad."

When both of her parents were inside, Bella turned and looked up at me. "What did you do to charm him?"

"We just had … a talk." I had no intention of sharing the sordid details with her.

"He didn't badger you to death, did he?"

_Yes! _"Nope. He was actually quite pleasant for a cop," I teased.

Bella heaved a sigh and slid her arm around my waist. "You have no idea how relieved I am. I thought for sure he'd grill you."

_If only you knew, sweetheart. _I shook my head. "He's probably saving that for the next time we're in Forks."

"Or when they're in New York," she joked.

I leaned down and kissed her cheek before opening the front door and ushering her inside.

I had successfully passed Charlie Swan's first test – and fuck if it wasn't a hard one.

Watching Bella flit around the kitchen with her mother that night only helped affirm what I already knew:

No amount of Charlie style interrogations could make me walk away from the good fortune I had so luckily fallen into.


End file.
